Air-ship.



N0. 638,|35. Patented Dec. 3, |9`0I.

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AIR SHIP.y

(Application led Sept 22, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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No. 6aa,|35. f Patented Dec. 3, |901.

J. lwas.

AIR SHIP.

(Application led Sept 22, 1900.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets--Sheetl 3.

A TTOHNE YS JOI-IN SPIES, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

AIR-

SHIP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 688,135, dated December3, 1901. Application led September 22, 1900. Serial No. 30,753. (Nomodel.)

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN SPIES, a citizen ot the United States, and aresident of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Air-Ship, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in air-ships, and the object isto provide a device of this character that in its principle oflocomotion shall resemble that of a bird-that is, it shall have thelightness and strength, with the wings or propelling devices located atthe most desirable point to effect the moving of the machine and havinga simple means under the direct control of an operator for shifting thegravity-point, directing motion up or down.

I will describe an air-ship embodying my invention and then point outthe novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the iigures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation ot an air-ship embodying my invention. Fig.2 is a plan View thereof. Fig. 3 is a section on the line @c of Fig. l.Fig. 4 is a plan showing the rudder connection. Fig. 5 is a section onthe line @j y of Fig. l, and Fig. 6 is a plan of one of the wing-frames.

The frame of the machine consists of upper and lower sections. The lowersection consists of tubes 1, suitably connected at the bottom, and theupper section consists of tubes 2, which telescope into the tubes 1. Theobject in making the frame in telescopic sections is to adapt it toballoons of diierent sizes and also permit the rider and operatingmechanism to be adjusted relatively to the balloons as occasion mayrequire. A horizontal frame 3, consisting of tubing, is connected to theupper ends of the tubes l,

forming the lower portion of the frame, andthis horizontal frameprovides a rest for the two balloons 4 5. These balloons 4 and 5 areeach made in the shape of a half-oval, which at the base end areprovided with hoops 6, which engage over hoops 7, attached to the frame2. The balloons may be held in posiropes or similar connections 8. Theballoons are to be ot' such size as to bring when filled with gas orhydrogen the whole machine, in-

lightly on the ground.

Mounted in the upper portion of the frame 2 are rock-shafts 9 10, uponwhich the wings are mounted. The wings 11 and 12 each consist of aseries of ribs 13, to which is secured a covering ot' silk or similarlight material. These ribs 13 are pivotally connected to arms 14,mounted onthe rock-shafts. Thewings may be extended or opened by meansof ropes 15, which extend from their connections with the ribs througheyes at the outer and inner ends of the wing-carrying arms and thencedownward and secured at the lower end to the lower `frame within easyreach of the opdrawing downward on these ropes the wings will be spread;but upon releasing the ropes springs 16, connecting with the ribs 13,will move the wings to a closed position.

From the arms 14 rods 17 extend downward to connections with eccentrics18, mounted on a shaft 19, supported in the lower frame. These rods 17preferably consist of two sections connected together by a turnbuckle,so that the length of the rods may be adjusted as desired. On the shaft19 is a sprocketwheel 20, from which a chain 21 extends to asprocket-wheel 22 on a crank-shaft 23, having pedals 24, and arrangedabove this crankshaft is a seat 25 for the operator. This seat is shownin the form of a saddle, similar to that of a bicycle. f

A steering-bar 26 has a beari n g in a bracket 27, and from arms on thelower end of this steering-bar ropes 28 extend to connections with arudder29, mounted to swing in a horizontal plane. This rudder 29 ispivotally connected to a rod 30, supported by the frame 3. Removablymounted on the rod 30 is a device for shifting the gravity ot themachine. It consists of a weight 31, to the opposite sides of which theends of a shiftingrope 32 are attached. This shifting-rope extendsthrough eyes 33 at the ends of the rod 30. As this rope 32 is directlyover the operator, it is obvious that the operator by erator, as will behereinafter described. By

tion with relation to the frame 3 by means of y cluding the operator, toa condition ot` rest` y IOO drawing upon the lower stretch of the ropemay shift the weight 3l to any desired point on the rod, thus changingthe up or down direction of the machine-that is, when the machine ismoving forward it may be caused to move upward at any desired angle byshifting the weight 31 toward the rear, and 'of course by shifting theweight toward the front the machine may be caused to gravitate down, andobviously it may be caused to move to the right or to the left byshifting the rudder 29.

In operation a person seated on the saddle 25 by operating the shaft 23will cause the movement of the eccentric-shaft, and through the rods 17motion will be imparted to the wings in the manner of that of the Wingmovement of a bird. The upper movement of the Wings will be facilitatedby means of balance-weights 34:, connected to arms eX- tended from therock-shafts 9 and l0. If desired, the whole frame may be provided with acovering of some light material, such as silk, and rthis would addsomewhat to the buoyancy of the machine.

With a machine constructed in accordance with lmy invention the dangerof accidents is reduced to a minimum, as should either one of theballoons break the operator could still keep his balance by shifting thebalance-weight under the sound one. Further,

should the balloons leak the wings would cause the device to fallslowly, and if the balloons and wings should be disabled the covering ofthe space between the balloons and fastened to the frame or wings wouldact as esal a parachute and break the strength of the' fall.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desirej to secureby Letters Patentl. In an air-ship, a frame consisting of upper andlower telescopic sections, ahorizontal frame attached to the lowersection, and balloons attached to the upper section and resting on thehorizontal frame, substantially as specified.

2. In an air-ship, a frame, rock-shafts supported in the upper portionof the frame, counterbalance-weights attached to said rockshafts, armson the rock-shafts, ribs pivotally connected to the said arms, means forspreading the ribs, and spring connections for-closing the ribs,substantially as specified.

3. In an air-ship, a main frame consisting of upper and lower telescopicsections, balloons attached to the upper section, counterbalancedrock-shafts in the upper section, arms on the shafts, Wings connected tothe arms, an eccentric-shaft in the lower section, means for operatingthe shaft, eccentrics on the shaft, Vand adjustable rod connectionsloetween said eccen'tricsand said arms, substantially as speciied. A

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN SPIES.

Witnesses: i

EDWARD HARYAN, SAMUEL THoMPsoN.

